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ALI ZAOUA: PRINCE OF THE
STREETS
(Morocco) 2000 feature 90 min.
Director: Nabil Ayouch; Distributor: Arab
Film Distribution. In Arabic with English subtitles.
A memorable and moving portrait of the lives of street kids living in
Casablanca’s abandoned lots. Ali, Kouka, Omar and Boubker, four young
friends who are members of a gang, rebel against their cruel leader’s
oppressive rule and strike out on their own. A testimony to the heights,
aspirations and beauty of the human spirit.
An
Ayatollah Speaks: Insights into Islam in Iran
(Iran) 2002 23 min.
Distributor: Films for
the Humanities and Sciences. In English with English subtitles and
narration.
In this ABC News program, Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani, on pilgrimage at
Mecca, seeks to dispel popular American misperceptions of his religion and
life in his homeland, Iran. Over the course of the interview, he talks
about what it means to be an ayatollah, the differences between Islam and
Islamist extremism, opportunities for Muslim women in Iranian society, the
benign symbolism of the burqa, and the nature of a Muslim’s relationship
with Allah.
*Arab
Americans After 9-11: Epilogue to Tales from Arab Detroit (Sneak Preview Premiere) (US) Release date: 2003 10
min.
Director/Producer: Joan Mandell; Distributor: New
Day Films. In English. Courtesy of the filmmaker.
The video crew of Tales from Arab Detroit, returns nine
years later for an update on the American born children of Arab immigrant
parents to see how life has changed in the wake of September 11.
Bethlehem
Diary
(Bethlehem) 2001 60 min.
Written, directed and produced by: Antonia
Caccia; Distributor: First
Run Icarus Films. In Arabic, Hebrew w/English subtitles and
English narration.
It is Christmas 2000. Normally, business would be booming The Israeli army
has closed off Bethlehem since the second Intifada of the previous
September. Areas of the town have been heavily shelled and ruins are
everywhere, streets deserted and shops are empty. A sensitive,
compassionate portrayal of two Palestinian families and a human rights
lawyer during this tumultuous period.
Caught
in the Crossfire
(US) 2002 54 min.
Director: David Van Taylor and Brad
Lichtenstein; Producer: Lumiere Production in association with the
Independent Television Service; Distributor: First Run
Icarus Films. In English with English subtitles.
A moving documentary regarding the precarious position of Arab-Americans
in the current climate of President Bush’s War on Terrorism. Like many
immigrants, Arab-Americans are torn between their adopted country and
their homeland, between modern American culture and ancient traditions.
This film gives voice to three people: Raghida Dergham, a diplomatic
correspondent; Khader El-Yateem, an Arab Christian minister; and Ahmed
Nasser, a New York police officer.
*The
Children of Allah
(Pakistan) 2002 58 min.
Director: Ulrik Homstrup and Eva Arnvig;
Producer: Ole Hjortdal; Produced by: Ned-Produktion and TV-DOLK in co-
production with DR TV, Denmark; TV2 Norway; TV4 Sweden and YLE/FST,
Finland; Distributor: Filmakers Library.
Arabic with English subtitles.
This film is an insider look at the everyday life in a Madrassa. Boys as
young as 5 or 6 are handed over by their families for years of rigorous,
intensive training for the ultimate goal of Jihad. Society supports that
the young boys are schooled to believe that it is every Muslim’s duty to
become a Jihad if necessary, and to place their lives at Jihad’s
disposal. It is estimated that the Taliban alone has recruited
80,000-100,000 young soldiers from the Madrassas in Pakistan since 1994.
Besides participating in the battles in Afghanistan, they have been sent
to the fronts in Chechnya, Kosovo, Bosnia and Kashmir.
For
My Children
(Israel) 2002 65 min.
Director: Michal Aviad; Producer: Distributor:
Women Make Movies. In Hebrew w/English subtitles
and English narration.
Filmmaker Michal Aviad turns the camera on herself to bravely document the
anxieties and fears of living and raising a family in war-torn Israel.
Shortly after the second Intifada in October 2000, Aviad began recording
her moral dilemmas and questions about surviving her country’s political
turmoil and upheaval. In a stream of images, public and private archives,
home videos and great historical events, she poignantly meditates on the
irony of her grandparents’ migration to Israel–to escape persecution
in Europe and find a homeland. This personal journey into the past leads
the filmmaker to search for hints of hope and safety for her children’s
uncertain future in Israel.
THE
FOUR FEATHERS
(UK/Africa) 1939 99 min.
Director: Zoltán Korda. Producer: Alexander
Korda for London Film Productions. Distributor: MGM/United Artists.
In English.
A British army officer who resigns his commission on the eve of his
unit’s embarkation to a mission against Egyptian rebels seeks to redeem
his cowardice by secretly aiding his comrades while disguised as an Arab.
When his unit is overwhelmed and captured by the rebels, the hero finds an
opportunity to return the ‘feathers’ of cowardice he received from his
former comrades by freeing them.
Gaza Under Siege
(Life II Programme 20), (Gaza, Palestine) 2001 27 min. Filmmakers:
Charles Stewart and Di Tatham;
Director: Charles Stewart; Producer: Di Tatham; Distributor: Bullfrog Films. In
English.
The Gaza Strip is home to a million Palestinians—and is a virtual
prison. Most of its residents are refugees who have lived in camps since
1948. Since the Palestinian uprising—the second Intifada—began in
September 2000, none of Gaza’s 40,000 day laborers have been able to
cross the border to Israel. The checkpoint is also closed to all goods and
medical supplies coming from Israel and the West Bank. Local Gazans bear
the brunt of Israel’s determination to quash the uprising. This Life
episode films Reyidha and Sabah–just one refugee family trying to cope.
The
Hajj: The Journey of a Lifetime
(Saudi Arabia/UK) 2001 59 min.
Director/Producer: Ovidio
Salazar. OR Media
Production for BBC Worldwide; Distributor: BBC Worldwide.
Courtesy of the filmmaker. In English with English narration and
subtitles.
This beautifully crafted film follows three
pilgrims from the United Kingdom: a policeman, a young university student
and Harley Street neurosurgeon, on a day-by-day basis, through the rituals
of Hajj pilgrimage.
HOKEES
(Canada) 2000 26 min.
Hokees is about Anahid–a contemporary Armenian woman,
pregnant with the child of her Turkish lover who is haunted by the past.
An artistic blending of the real and unreal, the past and present are
tightly woven into an emotionally visual experience. In Armenian, Hokees
literally means “soul” or “spirit.”
Human
Weapon: A Film on the History of Suicide Bombing
(Iran, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Israel, Palestine, Europe)
2002 54 min. Director: Ilan Ziv; Producer: Ilan Ziv & Serge Gordev;
Distributor: First Run Icarus Films. In English
with English subtitles.
A powerful and effective film on suicide
bombing due to its international scope, describing suicide attacks in
Lebanon and Jerusalem, Sri Lanka, Iran and Japan. It chronicles the
history of suicide attacks, the early successes in attacking political and
military targets, and the evolution of such methods to attack civilian
targets. Interviews with military leaders, failed suicide bombers,
families of bombers, and victims of the bombing provide a well-rounded
perspective.
I,
Too Sing America
CINEFORUM/Discussion
(US) 2002
1:45 min.
Director/Producer: Joan Mandell and Rich
Wieske; Producer: Olive Branch
Productions. In English. Courtesy of the filmmaker.
Rich in metaphor, a veiled Arab-American woman
sings the American National Anthem. Sure to stimulate interesting
discussion involving the multi-layered meaning of the simplest of
gestures. Will be accompanied by a study guide for teachers.
Join filmmaker Joan Mandell and MEOC president Marta Colburn as they
discuss classroom curriculum in conjunction with this film. (See Schedule)
In
My Own Skin: The Complexity of Living as an Arab in America
(US) 2001 16 min.
Director/Producer: Jennifer Jajeh and Nikki
Byrd; Distributor: Arab Film Distribution. In
English.
This well-crafted short sheds light on the
complexities of the Arab American experience through candid, in-depth
interviews with five young Arab women living in New York after the
September 11th
attacks on the World Trade Center.
In
the Name of Honor
(Kurdistan, Iraq) 2000 24 min.
Director: Alex Gabbay; Producer: Jenny Richards for Television Trust for
the Environment; Distributor: Bullfrog Films. In
English and Kurdish with English subtitles and narration.
Marriage for most Kurdish brides promises
freedom and respectability. But for others, it can bring isolation,
cruelty and even death. The program explores how oppression of the
minority Kurds in the disputed enclave of north Iraq has unleashed a chain
of violence–often directed at its women.
Islam
(France, Egypt, Tunisia,
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jerusalem) 2001 56 min.
SWR for Deutsche Welle TransTel. Distributor: Films
for the Humanities and Sciences. English narration.
This video is one in the series by Swiss
theologian, Hans Küng “On the Trails of World Religions.” Interest in
Islam, as well as a concern with Islamic fundamentalism, have gone
hand-in-hand in the West, with fear winning out over fascination whenever
a crisis has focused attention on the religion. As Islam spreads, it is
becoming more important to develop an understanding that will allow
Muslims and non-Muslims to live harmoniously in proximity to each other.
Dr. Küng goes to the heart of the matter as he maps out the history of
Islam, from its origin to the present day.
Islam
and America: Through the Eyes of Imran Khan (Pakistan) 2002
25 min.
Director: Bruno Sorrentino; Producer: John Purdie
for Journeyman Pictures; Distributor: Filmakers
Library. In Arabic and English with English subtitles.
Why do so many Muslims hate the United States? What has America done to
alienate so many people in the Muslim world? Imran Khan, Pakistani
celebrity cricket player turned politician, tries to answer these
questions in this provocative documentary filmed in locations throughout
Pakistan. He examines the political, social and economic causes of the
schism between the Islamic world and the West.
Letter
from Cairo
(Egypt/US) 2002 30 min.
Letter from Cairo
is a collection of video interviews with Egyptians filmed during January,
2002. Nice talked with artists, journalists and development professionals
in Cairo—people who have spent their professional lives reflecting on
Egyptian culture and its place in the world. The documentary is intended
as a letter from Egyptians to Americans, giving Egyptian perspectives on
America and Americans, especially since September 11. It was specially
produced for classroom use.
Mokarrameh,
Memories and Dreams
(Iran) 1999 46 min.
Director: Ebrahim Mokhtari; Producers: Ebrahim Mokhtari and Mahmoud
Chokrollahi; Distributor: First Run Icarus Films.
In Persian with English narration and English subtitles.
From the day her beloved cow was sold without
her knowledge, Mokarrameh, a widow in rural Iran, painted tirelessly to
ease her grief and pain. Her life story and experiences are interwoven
with and through her paintings, revealing bittersweet tales: bickering
between co-wives, injustice in the village and a confrontation with her
uncle about her early arranged marriage.
The
Mother of Light and Her Daughters
(Egypt) 1999 54 min.
Director/Producer: Viola Shafik; Distributor: Arab
Film Distribution. In Arabic with English subtitles.
While depicting the habits and customs related
to the annual fasting dedicated to the Virgin Mary, director Viola Shafik
interviewed her female Coptic relatives to share their stories
demonstrating changes in education, emancipation and the role of religion
in Egyptian society. The film touches on the rich mythological Coptic
heritage rooted among others, in Old Egyptian customs and beliefs and
tackles gender inequalities perpetuated by the Coptic Church and backed by
Egyptian society in general.
Mrs.
President: Women and Political Leadership in Iran
(Iran) 200146 min.
Director/Producer: Shahla Haeri; Distributor: Films
for the Humanities & Sciences. In Persian with English subtitles and English
narration.
Interviews with six educated, middle class,
professional Iranian women who nominated themselves for the presidential
election of 2001. A gender ambiguous term in the constitution of the
Islamic Republic of Iran provided the opportunity for the challenge these
women posed to the official reading of the constitution. Although women
were allowed to register for the presidency, of the forty-seven women who
did so, the qualifications were not approved by the Guardian Council, an
exclusively male body. Includes commentary from two well-known female
journalists, scenes from the women’s political campaigns and election
day in Tehran.
*Muhammad:
Legacy of the Prophet
CINEFORUM/Discussion
(Filmed in USA, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan and Jerusalem in 2001) 2002 30 min.
excerpt.
Producers: Alexander Kronemer, Michael Wolfe,
Michael Schwarz. Narrated by Andre Braugher. In English. Courtesy of
PBS and Unity Productions Foundation. Contact: Connecting
Cultures.
Watch for a national broadcast on all PBS
stations December 18, 2002, 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm. The film tells the story
of Muhammad by scholars and American Muslims. It is a compelling
story that describes the impact his life has on Muslims today. You will
hear from a NY firefighter, a congressional chief of staff, a nurse
in Detroit, Michigan and others about their lives as American Muslims.
Join Alexander Kronemer, creator and producer,
and Lobna Ismail, of Connecting Cultures, for a discussion/cineforum about
the making of the film, the Islam Project and outreach curriculum. (See
Schedule)
*No
News
(US) 2002 13 min.
Director/Producer: Bushra
Azzouz. In English with English narration and voice over. Courtesy
of the filmmaker.
An artistic, autobiographical exploration of
several markers of the Middle East conflict as they impact the filmmaker
and her family: the 1975 Lebanon Civil War, the Israeli invasion of
southern Lebanon, events of Sabra and Shatila, the 1990 Gulf War and
September 11. “No news is good news.” Bombarded with constant
information of events, so far removed, metaphorically, the audience
listens and watches. Reality fades in and out like the image of the Twin
Towers from the New York City skyline.
The
Middle East in 1900: the Ottoman Empire
Part I shown of five from the series, Search
for Destiny
(Middle East) 2001 52 min. each part
Distributor: Landmark
Media. In English.
Part 1–In 1900, the Middle East was largely dominated by
the Ottoman Empire. When that empire sided with Germany against Britain in
World War I, the British incited the Arabs to rebel against their Ottoman
rulers. Britain lured the US into
an alliance, simultaneously promising a homeland for the Zionists and an
independent Arab state. This series explores an in-depth view of the
Middle East in the past century, with a judiciously balanced perspective
on its endless conflicts and turmoil.
Part 2–World War II saw the Arabs driven by British
colonialism to support the Axis. Lebanon and Syria gain independence from
France and Israel was born in 1948.
Part 3–The post World War II period covers the struggle
of Middle Eastern peoples to throw off British hegemony. Nasser takes
power in Egypt, modernizes Egypt and with American support, drives the
British and French from control of the Suez Canal.
Part 4–The late 1950s and 1960s chronicles Israel
annexing large portions of Biblical Israel, a bloody Algerian conflict
with France, and Oman’s struggle to drive out the British. Egypt’s
Nasser dies in 1970 and is succeeded by Sadat.
Part 5–Israel gains land but multiplies its problems
after the 1967 Six Day War. Muslim
fundamentalists assassinate Sadat. Iran throws out the Shah to become an
Islamic state under the Ayatollah Khomeini. Iraq wages a 10 year war with
Iran, then invades Kuwait: the Gulf War follows.
Shahrbanoo
(Iran) 2002 58 min.
Melissa, visiting her new husband’s family in Tehran, is befriended by
Shahrbanoo, her mother-in-law’s housekeeper. Shahrbanoo invites
Melissa—and her husband with camera in tow—to a family gathering where
she is treated to an intense cultural exchange about subjects ranging from
women’s place in society to American foreign policy. A charming, yet
authentic testimony to the hidden ties that connect us across cultural
gulfs.
The
Stakes of Islam: The Perilous Valley of Central Asia
(Central Asia) 2002 52 min.
Director: Karel Procop for Constance Films;
Producer: Board Production and La Sept-ARTE; Distributor: Filmakers
Library. English narration and English subtitles.
Suleyman
the Magnificent
(Turkey) 1996 51 min.
Director: Robert Marshall; Executive Producer:
Philip Clarke for Mars Productions Ltd. with Diverse Productions Ltd. for
The Learning Channel; Distributor: Films for the
Humanities and Sciences. In English.
This program chronicles the brilliant exploits
and initiatives of Suleyman I, dubbed “the Magnificent”. During his 46
years as sultan, he more than doubled the territories inherited from his
father, creating an empire bounded by Vienna in the west, the upper Arab
peninsula in the east, the Crimea in the north, and Sudan in the south. In
addition, art, architecture, science, theology, and the law all flourished
under his rule—a reign that marked the peak of Ottoman influence.
The
Tree That Remembers
(Canada/Iran) 2002 50 min.
Tracing the history of the gross infringement
of civil and human rights in Iran, this moving documentary examines the
plight of former political prisoners under the brutal and dictatorial
regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini. This film combines the filmmaker’s
personal reflections (himself a former political prisoner) with interviews
with other former prisoners, who recount their experiences of being in
jail, escaping from their homeland, and adapting to and living with
painful memories.
US-Afghan
Relations: Gaining Perspective
(US/Afghanistan) 2001 42 min.
A video of ABC News Nightline of a program
originally broadcast September 26, 2001; Distributor: Films
for the Humanities and Sciences. In English.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” In
this program, ABC News correspondent Chris Bury shows how that Arab adage
sums up America’s relation to Afghanistan since the Cold War. US support
to the mujahideen and the subsequent abandon-ment of Afghanistan upon the
Soviet Union’s defeat are discussed by Frank Anderson, head of the
CIA’s Afghan task force in the 1980s; Charles Wilson, former US
Congressman and proponent of Afghan support; Ben Rooney, a reporter with The
Telegraph who covered the Afghan/Soviet war; Tom Carew, a former
British SAS soldier who helped train the Afghan army; and two veterans
from both sides of the Afghan/Soviet war.
The
Virgin Diaries
(Morocco) 2002 56 min.
Director: Jessica Woodworth; Producer: Peter
Brosens; Production: The Ice House; Distributor: First
Run Icarus Films. In Arabic and French with English subtitles.
It all began with a controversial kiss of the
hand… Fatiha, a young Moroccan woman, is on the verge of her impending
arranged marriage. Her fiancé’s disturbingly extreme views, however,
cause her to embark on a journey through Morocco in search of answers to
questions about virginity, sex and Islam. Inevitably, this defiant quest
Fatiha undertakes with her close friend (the filmmaker) produces few
answers and lots of trouble. Things skid out of control when Fatiha does
the unthinkable and falls in love for the first time. Fatiha’s encounter
with a charming stranger suddenly pits duty against desire.
Voices
of Dissent as America Fights Back
US) 2001 22 min.
Producer: ABC News, Nightline; Distributor:
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. In
English.
Freedom of speech, one of America’s most
cherished political principles, can be an unpopular right to exercise in
times of war and crisis. In this program, ABC News correspondent Ted
Koppel presents several voices in the minority regarding the political and
cultural reactions of the US to the events of September 11, including
“Boondocks” cartoonist Aaron McGroder; Arundhati Roy, Indian author of
The God of Small Things; and a group of Arab graduate students
studying in the US on Fulbright scholarships. Originally broadcast
November 2, 2001.
With
Us or Against Us: Afghans in America
(US) 2001 27 min.
With Us or Against Us
follows several Afghan-Americans in Fremont, California, as they struggle
to cope with the anti-Afghan sentiments in America, and indeed the world.
We meet compelling characters from all walks of life—writers, activists,
students and shopkeepers—and learn from them what it means to be an
Afghan in America today.
YELLOW
ASPHALT (Asphalt Tzahov)
(Israel) 2000 87min.
Three
dramatic encounters between modern-day Israelis and the Bedouin people who
are their neighbors, colleagues, lovers and employees. These stories pit
cultures with divergent values and customs against one another. At heart
they are tales of the human condition–of passion and deceit,
carelessness and love, courage and selfishness–in which no one culture
has a monopoly on virtue or vice.
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